Piano-stool.



J. HEGERHORST. kPIANO sTooL.

APILIOATION FILED JAN. 6. 1911. v

Patented Feb. 6, 191.2.

JOHN HEGERHORST, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PIANO-STOOL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

Application filed January 6, 1911. Serial No. 601,235.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN HEGERHoRsT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Piano-Stools, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to piano stools and pertains more particularly to a convertible stool that may be used both for solo or duet playing.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an auxiliary seat, in conjunction with the ordinary seat, which may be folded beneath the latter, when not in use, and readily brought'into service when so desired.

Another object of theinvention is to provide a double seat, with but one pedestal, whereby but a minimum amount of space is required and the accustomed appearance of the stool may still be maintained.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the stool with the double seat arrangement in use, Fig. 2 is a fragmental side elevation showing a single seat in use, Fig. 3 is an end elevation showing the position of the parts when the auxiliary seat is not in use, Fig. 4 is a detail view, showing the parts broken away and in section, Figs. 5 and 6 are similar views. Fig. 7, is a detail fragmentary view, partly in section, of the spring pressed pin.

In the embodiment of the invention 1 designates a center post which rests on the floor and is supported by legs 2 each of which may have a metal foot 3 attached to its lower extremity. A screw L1 as is common operates in post 1 and supports at its upper extremity a box 5 attached thereto by a steel plate 6 suitably aflixed to screw 4; and secured to the box 5 by screws 7 passing therethrough. On the interior of the box 5 and on either side thereof are secured strips or cleats 8, which form guide ways or tracks in which slide the tongues 9 formed on members provided upon the inner faces of the seats 10, the lower tracks terminating at their right hand ends an appreciable distance short of the corresponding ends of the upper tracks.

8 designates a U-shaped metal covering which conformably engages the uppermost strip 8 and the middle one, and 9 designates a metal covering which is secured over each tongue 9, so that same may be received and slide in the tracks formed by the metal strips 8 andcovers 8. The metal members 8 and 9 need only be used in connection with the seatklO on the left hand side of Fig. 1, since said seat is the uppermost one when the parts are collapsed as seen in Fig. 2, in which iigure it will be obvious that the weight of the operator must be taken up by the seat `and its support. It is permissible however, to use the metal coverings throughout the connections between both of the seats as shown in Fig. 2.

There are two seats 10 employed each being a duplicate of the other. Hinges 11 are fastened to the inner ends of seats 10 as depicted in Fig. 3, in order that the right hand seat may be swung under the left hand seat so that the two occupy the position illustrated in Fig. 3. Box 5 has one end open and provided with a closure therefor, formed of members 12 and 13, these members being secured together by hinges 14. Member 13 is hinged to the bottom wall of box 5 as illustrated at 15, and constitutes a portion of that wall when the closure is in operative position. Spring snap locks or catches are arranged between the bottom of the box 5 and the inner side of the member 13 and between the upper end of the member 12 and the inner end of the left hand seat 10. These locks or catches consist of thin plates 16 and 19 each formed with a slot and flexible spring hook or catch members 17 and 18 which operate in a well known manner, the plates 16 and 19 being also flexible to some extent so as to enable their slot walls to give somewhat when the hooks are snapped into and withdrawn from said slots. A stop 20 is secured to the bottom side of box 5 to prevent the member 12 from coming into contact with the legs 2 of the pedestal, obviously to prevent marring of the parts. A tab or strap 21 of leather is secured to the end of one of the seats 10 in order to permit of convenient operation. When the parts are in the position illustrated in Fig. 1, members 12 and 13 may be moved to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 4.

Means are preferably provided for limiting the movement of the left-hand seat in both directions upon the upper track, so as to prevent said seat from complete disengagement from either end of that track. Movement of the seat in question toward the left, (with respect to Fig. l) is terminated through the medium of a stop 22, shown in Fig. 3, which stop is secured to the under side of said seat toward the hinged or right-hand end thereof and is designed to strike against an abutment 2l secured to the inner tace of the corresponding side of box 5; movement of said seat in the opposite direction is terminated by the automatic engagement of a spring-controlled pin 23 in a notch 9 formed on the under side of the adjacent tongue 9 of the seat, said pin being mounted in a housing 8 secured to the inner face of one of the adjacent box sides, as shown in Figs. 1 and 7. The location of the various parts above described is such that the movement of the said lett-hand seat toward the left will be terminated when that seat reaches the position which it occupies when the stool is used for duet playing, or in other words when both seats are engaged with the upper track, while its movement toward the right will be arrested when it reaches a position Where the rightyhand seat can be swung downward and inserted into the interior of the box and engaged with the lower track.

The operation of the device is substantially as follows, it being assumed that the seats occupy the position shown in Fig. 3, wherein the right-hand seat is disposed within box 5, and that the use of the seat just mentioned is desired for duet purposes. To bring this seat into play, the operator grasps tab 2l and pulls both seats outwardly along their tracks (the lower seat moving through the open end of the box,) until the notch 9 on the upper seat is engaged by the pin 23. Vhen this takes place, the position of the two seats will be such that the lower seat has left the short lower tracks and may be swung upwardly into the same plane as the upper seat, whereupon it will be caused to engage the upper track when both seats are moved to the left, movement of the seats in that direction being continued until stop 22 strikes against abutment 21. With reference to the upward swinging movement of the right-hand seat into the plane of the 'left-hand seat, it is to be noted that the member 13 of the box closure constitutes a portion of the bottom wall of the box, so that when the closure as a whole is lowered into the position shown in Fig. 4, suliicient space will be left open to permit the specified movement of said seat, since the latter has left the said lower tracks and has been almost entirely withdrawn from said box prior to such movement. It will also be observed that one of the walls of the notch 9 in the lett-hand seat is inclined or beveled, thereby oiiering no obstruction to the movement of that seat toward the left after the upward movement of the right-hand seat. IVhen it is desired to utilize the stool for solo playing, both seats are moved toward the right from the position shown in Fig. l, until the engagement of pin 23 in notch 9 takes place, at which time the right-hand seat has completely left the upper track; said right-hand seat may then be swung downwardly into position to enter box 5 and engage the lower track when both seats are moved to the left, after which the end of the box may be closed. It will thus be seen thatv there are two separate tracks provided in the box, the upper track supporting both seats when the stool is used for duet playing, while the lower track serves to support the unused auxiliary sea-t within the casing when the stool is used for solo playing.

1.` In a piano stool, a box, a member hinged to one end ot thebox, a lock arranged between said end of the box and the adjacent side of said member, a second member hinged to the iirst named one, a pair of seats, a track in the box to receive both of the seats when both of the seats are in use, a hinge connection between said seats whereby when but one seat is in use the other may be folded beneath the same, and a lock between the second member and one end of one of the seats when said seats are in their folded position.

2. In a piano stool, a box, tracks carried by the box on its interior, a pair of seats for engagement with the tracks having their inner ends hingedly connected whereby one seat may be folded under the other, said box having an open end to receive the folded seat, and a closure for said open end composed of a pair of hingedly connected members, and a spring lock carried by one of the members to engage an end of one of the seats to thereby hold the closure in locked position.

3. In a piano stool, the combination of a casing provided with upper and lower tracks arranged interiorly thereof, and with an open end; a two-part closure for said end hinged to said casing; and a pair of seats hingedly connected together at their mutually-adjacent ends, one of said seats being slidably engaged at all times with the upper track, while the other seat is arranged to be swung downwardly upon its hinge connection and inserted through the open end of said casing into engagement with the lower track when the stool is used yfor solo playing, and to be withdrawn with said upper track when the stool is In testimony whereof I have hereunto set used for duet playing, said Closure having my hand in presence of two subscribing Witone of its members constituting a portion of nesses.

the bottom Wall of said casing for eniarg- JOHN HEGERHORST. ing the open end of the latter, to permit said Witnesses:

other sent to be inserted into and Withdrawn ALBERT HOERING,

from said casing. VALENTINE FETH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

